title: Development and evaluation of targeted psychological skills training for oncology nurses in managing stressful patient and family encounters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reduce workplace stress by developing a brief psychological skills training for nurses and to evaluate program feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in decreasing burnout and stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intervention development and evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient chemotherapy unit at a comprehensive cancer center.
  
  
  METHODS
  26 infusion nurses and oncology social workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups were conducted with nurses. Results informed the development and evaluation of training for nurses. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale post-training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Burnout and stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Focus groups indicated strong commitment among nurses to psychosocial care and supported the idea that relationships with patients and families were sources of reward and stress. Stressors included factors that interfered with psychosocial care such as difficult family dynamics, patient behaviors and end-of-life care issues. Psychological skills training was developed to address these stressors. Evaluations suggested that the program was feasible and acceptable to nurses. At two months, participants showed reductions in emotional exhaustion (p = 0.02) and stress (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychological skills training for managing difficult encounters showed feasibility, acceptability, and potential benefit in reducing emotional exhaustion and stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brief training that targets sources of clinical stress may be useful for nurses in outpatient chemotherapy units.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific stressors in relationships with patients and families present challenges to nurses' therapeutic use of self. Targeted psychological skills training may help nurses problem-solve difficult encounters while taking care of themselves. System-level strategies are needed to support and promote training participation.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, USA. ltraeger@partners.org
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Traeger
authors.forename: Elyse R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sporn
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Repper-DeLisi
authors.forename: Mary Susan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Convery
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacobo
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Pirl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000451:nursing; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000193:education*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D016730:Program Development; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012947:Social Work; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration*